Long Road Back, Part 3
Jan. 7th, 2007 11:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catspaw"Report, Doctor?"
Doctor Fraiser was startled out of writing up her notes when General Hammond appeared by her side at the foot of the bed.
"Three injuries, General. Major Wade's arm is broken, a clean break, fortunately. It's been set and he's resting comfortably. Doctor Jackson received a grazing shot from an energy weapon of some kind and some minor lacerations on his face. His shoulder is burned, though not severely, I'm happy to say. Both of them should be able to cope with a debriefing tomorrow."
Hammond smiled his satisfaction at her prompt and full repsonse. "As usual, Doctor, you have anticipated what I was going to ask you."
His smile faded as he turned his head to look towards the curtained off area where O'Neill lay.
"And the Colonel?"
The doctor's voice hardened appreciably as she replied.
“He’s recovering from the cardiac arrest, which was caused by the administration of morphine. Neither Major Carter nor Doctor Jackson could have known it would cause that reaction. He is currently breathing independently, but his lungs have been damaged so we have him on additional oxygen. I won’t be able to assess his neurological state until he regains consciousness.”
She paused briefly to gather her thoughts and when she continued, the anger in her voice was unmistakeable.
"Somebody’s really done a number on him, that’s for sure. He’s suffering from malnutrition with deficiencies in vitamins C and K - he hasn't had an anywhere near adequate diet since he disappeared. He’s obviously lost a lot of weight and suffered some muscle wastage as his body’s metabolised lean tissue to fend off starvation."
"What are the implications of that?"
"Long-term, General? Nothing that can’t be put right with a couple of shots, a monitored diet program and some intensive physical therapy. We should have him bulked up to his fighting weight within a few weeks. Short term, his resistance to infection is bound to be abnormally low. But with care, we should be able to circumvent that.
"Physically, apart from the malnutrition, he has extensive bruising, particularly to his kidneys, but his immune system seems to be functioning well since the damage is healing. No broken bones apart from two cracked ribs, probably caused by Daniel's CPR – whoever’s been beating him on a regular basis has been an expert at causing maximum discomfort without lasting damage. The bruising is fairly extensive due to the vitamin K deficiency.
"He’s apparently also been drugged on a regular basis with a preparation similar to one of the benzodiazepines. Similar but not identical to Halcion. Had it been identical, I could have been fairly confident in my prognosis. As it is..." Janet trailed off and shrugged ruefully. "I really can’t say at this time, sir. Halcion is a dependency-forming drug and a tapered dose regimen is the recommended way of reducing dependency, so I’m assuming that the same strategy will work for whatever it is that the Colonel has been having administered to him. The best I can think of to do is to try and stem any withdrawal by substituting Halcion for whatever it was in the hope that it works in much the same way, and then wean him off that in the usual way. Even if that works, I can’t predict whether or not there will be any long-term effects. We’re still working on it though, to see if we can’t come up with a more positive strategy."
Hammond sighed. "I’m sure you are, Doctor. I have every confidence in you and the entire medical team."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
*
Daniel was standing at the foot of Jack’s infirmary bed, his arms hugged across his chest, when Janet returned to check on her patient. He looked up as she came in and acknowledged her with a small half smile before his attention switched back to the man lying on the bed.
"You've taken him off the ventilator. When did that happen?"
Janet opened her mouth to give Daniel the standard spiel about being up and about so soon but then took pity on him and answered straightforwardly, "About an hour ago, when you were getting the second part of your physical. After which you were told to rest, as I recall. Not much point in coming to your friendly neighbourhood doctors for treatment if you refuse to follow their advice."
Daniel didn't show much sign of having heard her.
"We did this to him, didn't we?"
She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "You couldn't have known, Daniel."
"Uh, actually, I did. I guessed, anyway – I knew he’d been drugged up with something. What was it, by the way?"
"One of the benzos, but with a twist."
"Like I said, I knew there was something. And what we did... just made it worse. I nearly killed him. Maybe I have killed him in most of the ways that count." His mouth twisted on the words, as though they had unpleasant taste. "I just couldn’t bring myself to quieten him down any other way. I couldn’t bring myself to hit him."
Janet tried to offer what comfort she could. "It may not seem like it right now, but you and Sam made a good call, Daniel. Hitting him hard enough to knock him out would have been equally bad, if not worse. You could have started a fatal bleed in his brain, his vitamin K level is so low. That’s what’s making the bruising look so bad. And when you look at the marks you and Teal’c have left on his arms when you were trying to restrain him... I know you both would have been as gentle as possible, but the bruising is very extensive. It probably wouldn’t have taken much of a blow to be fatal, and it would have been a lot quicker than this. At least this way he had half a chance. And going by previous experience, half a chance to Colonel O’Neill is worth three chances to anyone else."
"You think he’ll recover then?"
"He should recover consciousness, yes. When, I can't say."
"But?" Daniel gave her a sharp glance as she opened her mouth to speak and added, "Don't try to snow me, Janet. I heard a definite 'but' there."
Janet took a breath to give the usual easy assurances, then really looked at Daniel’s face and thought better of it. If she didn't tell him, he'd soon enough work it out on his own, if he hadn't already. With obvious reluctance, she said gently, "We have to consider the possibility of brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. He was down for quite a long time."
"I figured as much. Tell me honestly, what are his chances?"
"Of brain damage? At the moment, and until he regains consciousness and I can do a proper assessment, I can't say better than fifty-fifty. Maybe a bit less."
Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose over the top of his glasses frames and puffed out a breath. "So I guess we just have to wait then."
"That's all we can do."
*
Part 4
Doctor Fraiser was startled out of writing up her notes when General Hammond appeared by her side at the foot of the bed.
"Three injuries, General. Major Wade's arm is broken, a clean break, fortunately. It's been set and he's resting comfortably. Doctor Jackson received a grazing shot from an energy weapon of some kind and some minor lacerations on his face. His shoulder is burned, though not severely, I'm happy to say. Both of them should be able to cope with a debriefing tomorrow."
Hammond smiled his satisfaction at her prompt and full repsonse. "As usual, Doctor, you have anticipated what I was going to ask you."
His smile faded as he turned his head to look towards the curtained off area where O'Neill lay.
"And the Colonel?"
The doctor's voice hardened appreciably as she replied.
“He’s recovering from the cardiac arrest, which was caused by the administration of morphine. Neither Major Carter nor Doctor Jackson could have known it would cause that reaction. He is currently breathing independently, but his lungs have been damaged so we have him on additional oxygen. I won’t be able to assess his neurological state until he regains consciousness.”
She paused briefly to gather her thoughts and when she continued, the anger in her voice was unmistakeable.
"Somebody’s really done a number on him, that’s for sure. He’s suffering from malnutrition with deficiencies in vitamins C and K - he hasn't had an anywhere near adequate diet since he disappeared. He’s obviously lost a lot of weight and suffered some muscle wastage as his body’s metabolised lean tissue to fend off starvation."
"What are the implications of that?"
"Long-term, General? Nothing that can’t be put right with a couple of shots, a monitored diet program and some intensive physical therapy. We should have him bulked up to his fighting weight within a few weeks. Short term, his resistance to infection is bound to be abnormally low. But with care, we should be able to circumvent that.
"Physically, apart from the malnutrition, he has extensive bruising, particularly to his kidneys, but his immune system seems to be functioning well since the damage is healing. No broken bones apart from two cracked ribs, probably caused by Daniel's CPR – whoever’s been beating him on a regular basis has been an expert at causing maximum discomfort without lasting damage. The bruising is fairly extensive due to the vitamin K deficiency.
"He’s apparently also been drugged on a regular basis with a preparation similar to one of the benzodiazepines. Similar but not identical to Halcion. Had it been identical, I could have been fairly confident in my prognosis. As it is..." Janet trailed off and shrugged ruefully. "I really can’t say at this time, sir. Halcion is a dependency-forming drug and a tapered dose regimen is the recommended way of reducing dependency, so I’m assuming that the same strategy will work for whatever it is that the Colonel has been having administered to him. The best I can think of to do is to try and stem any withdrawal by substituting Halcion for whatever it was in the hope that it works in much the same way, and then wean him off that in the usual way. Even if that works, I can’t predict whether or not there will be any long-term effects. We’re still working on it though, to see if we can’t come up with a more positive strategy."
Hammond sighed. "I’m sure you are, Doctor. I have every confidence in you and the entire medical team."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
*
Daniel was standing at the foot of Jack’s infirmary bed, his arms hugged across his chest, when Janet returned to check on her patient. He looked up as she came in and acknowledged her with a small half smile before his attention switched back to the man lying on the bed.
"You've taken him off the ventilator. When did that happen?"
Janet opened her mouth to give Daniel the standard spiel about being up and about so soon but then took pity on him and answered straightforwardly, "About an hour ago, when you were getting the second part of your physical. After which you were told to rest, as I recall. Not much point in coming to your friendly neighbourhood doctors for treatment if you refuse to follow their advice."
Daniel didn't show much sign of having heard her.
"We did this to him, didn't we?"
She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "You couldn't have known, Daniel."
"Uh, actually, I did. I guessed, anyway – I knew he’d been drugged up with something. What was it, by the way?"
"One of the benzos, but with a twist."
"Like I said, I knew there was something. And what we did... just made it worse. I nearly killed him. Maybe I have killed him in most of the ways that count." His mouth twisted on the words, as though they had unpleasant taste. "I just couldn’t bring myself to quieten him down any other way. I couldn’t bring myself to hit him."
Janet tried to offer what comfort she could. "It may not seem like it right now, but you and Sam made a good call, Daniel. Hitting him hard enough to knock him out would have been equally bad, if not worse. You could have started a fatal bleed in his brain, his vitamin K level is so low. That’s what’s making the bruising look so bad. And when you look at the marks you and Teal’c have left on his arms when you were trying to restrain him... I know you both would have been as gentle as possible, but the bruising is very extensive. It probably wouldn’t have taken much of a blow to be fatal, and it would have been a lot quicker than this. At least this way he had half a chance. And going by previous experience, half a chance to Colonel O’Neill is worth three chances to anyone else."
"You think he’ll recover then?"
"He should recover consciousness, yes. When, I can't say."
"But?" Daniel gave her a sharp glance as she opened her mouth to speak and added, "Don't try to snow me, Janet. I heard a definite 'but' there."
Janet took a breath to give the usual easy assurances, then really looked at Daniel’s face and thought better of it. If she didn't tell him, he'd soon enough work it out on his own, if he hadn't already. With obvious reluctance, she said gently, "We have to consider the possibility of brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. He was down for quite a long time."
"I figured as much. Tell me honestly, what are his chances?"
"Of brain damage? At the moment, and until he regains consciousness and I can do a proper assessment, I can't say better than fifty-fifty. Maybe a bit less."
Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose over the top of his glasses frames and puffed out a breath. "So I guess we just have to wait then."
"That's all we can do."
*
Part 4
